Hand-held hair dryer

Abstract

The invention is directed to a hand-held hair dryer including a housing (10) which is comprised of a handle (12) and an air-moving outer tube (14); the outer tube (14) possesses an inlet port (16) and an outlet port (18) for an air stream, and the housing accommodates a heater and a fan generating and heating the air stream. Arranged in the outer tube (14) is an inner tube (42) receiving at least the heater. In this arrangement, the inner tube (42) is manufactured from a material having a higher thermal stability than the outer tube, and the inner tube (42) terminates flush with at least the outlet port of the outer tube (14) or projects beyond the outlet port of the outer tube (14) in the direction of flow (64). A hair styling implement as, for example, a nozzle (44), a diffuser or the like, is attachable to the inner tube (42).

We claim: 
     
       1. A hand-held hair dryer comprising a housing having a handle and an outer tube defining an air inlet port and an air outlet port in fluid communication with one another, said outer tube further comprising a first material having a first thermal stability,   a fan and a heater disposed within said housing generating and heating an air stream directed towards said air outlet port, and   an inner tube received within an interior of said outer tube, said inner tube accommodating at least said heater of said fan and said heater, said inner tube further comprising a second material having a second thermal stability higher than said first thermal stability of said outer tube and wherein the inner tube extends, in a direction outward of the air outlet port, at least flush with the air outlet port and is adapted to mount a hair styling implement.   
     
     
       2. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outlet screen is provided on the inner tube. 
     
     
       3. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the inner tube further comprises an outlet port in register with said air outlet port of said outer tube and the outlet screen is arranged in the area of the outlet port of the inner tuber. 
     
     
       4. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 2, wherein the outlet screen is fixed to the inner tube. 
     
     
       5. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner tube engages the outer tube adjacent the air outlet port. 
     
     
       6. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outside principal dimension of the inner tube corresponds at least partially over its surface to about an inside principal dimension of the outer tube. 
     
     
       7. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inner tube further comprises a latch for securement of a hair styling attachment to said hair dryer. 
     
     
       8. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 7, wherein said latch is selected from the group consisting of a bayonet-type connector and a clip lock mechanism. 
     
     
       9. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said housing further defines adjacent an exterior surface thereof a channel defining a cable duct extending in a direction of a longitudinal axis of said outer tube, said cable duct accommodating cables at least partially away from an interior space between said inner tube and said outer tube. 
     
     
       10. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 9, wherein the channel extends along a surface of the housing adjoining the handle. 
     
     
       11. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 9, wherein said housing further defines at least one closeable aperture in a region of at least one of the air inlet port and the air outlet port, said aperture communicating with the channel for admitting a cable. 
     
     
       12. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises at least first, second and third housing portions, said housing portions having parting surfaces extending between the housing portions parallel to each other. 
     
     
       13. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 12, wherein the parting surfaces extend through the handle substantially parallel to a handle longitudinal axis of the handle and through the outer tube substantially normal to the outer tube longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       14. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 12 wherein said first, second and third housing portions define respectively a front shell, a rear shell and a center portion. 
     
     
       15. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 14, wherein at least one housing portion further comprises an outside surface at least partially intersecting a spherical surface, whereby a grip region is provided for the user. 
     
     
       16. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 12, wherein at least one of the housing portions further comprises a material having a first hardness different from a hardness of at least one of the other housing portions. 
     
     
       17. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 14, wherein the center portion further comprises an outside surface at least partially intersecting a spherical surface, whereby a grip region is provided for the user. 
     
     
       18. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 17, wherein the housing center portion comprises a material having a hardness less than a hardness of said other housing portions. 
     
     
       19. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle is arranged closer to the air outlet port than to the air inlet port. 
     
     
       20. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the handle is arranged centrally between the air outlet port and the air inlet port. 
     
     
       21. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said inner tube extends beyond the air outlet port of the outer tube. 
     
     
       22. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing further comprises at least first, second and third housing portions, said housing portions having parting surfaces extending between the housing portions transverse to a longitudinal axis through said housing. 
     
     
       23. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 15, wherein said at least one housing portion is the rear shell. 
     
     
       24. The hand-held hair dryer as claimed in claim 20, wherein a projection of a major axis of the handle intersects a longitudinal axis of the outer tube at a location at least as proximal the air outlet port as a midpoint between the air outlet port and the air inlet port.